Vandivort Makes Decision
I previously wrote about Brooks Vandivort contemplating a run for City Rep for District 1. I mentioned that he would be making a decision over the weekend. Vandivort has made his decision and sent me an email notifying me of the decision. The following is the email he sent me.
Mr. Abeytia:
I have spoken to a very small group of people I trust about my interest in running for the District 1 Council seat and wanted to convey my final decision to you as well since it had been covered on your blog.
After much debate, it is clear to me that the time required to be an effective Council member is something that I do not have at present. While I am extremely grateful to those in the public sector and business community who have urged me to seek election, I know that I cannot give the position my full attention; and that would be unfair to the citizens of District 1. The issues facing the City of El Paso require a full-time commitment; and while the City Manager form of government has placed more responsibility with City Staff, we should still expect intelligent, creative, and difficult decisions to be made by our regionally elected officials.
The City of El Paso and the surrounding areas are at tipping point both economically and socially. Too many of our elected officials continually try to solve our problems with incremental and often ineffectual policy changes, and this was at the center of my interest in running. Today the greatest economic driver in our community is the BRAC decision of 2005; and while the development community and City planning have been working to capitalize on this growth, not enough is being done to ensure that the region continues to prosper economically once Fort Bliss expansion is complete.
Further, El Paso sits on the largest international borderplex in the world and is the perfect setting for research, training, policy education, immigration, and international security on a global level; yet the programs that capitalize on this are locally or regionally focused and do not have the funding necessary to become national in scope. The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College, Texas Tech, and similar institutions should be commended on the progress that they have made in becoming centers of learning on the border, but a strong push needs to be made at the Federal level to enhance these existing programs and to add Federal anchors of support. A brief search of national research programs in these areas reveals that they are located in virtually every part of the country aside from El Paso. While limited progress has been made, this type of neglect comes from the top down. Local representatives and state elected officials need to push our national representatives into action.
El Paso is a wonderful city to live in and call home, and I will continue to make an impact where I can. I want to thank you for your contributions to the local political dialogue and for providing a platform that extends the debate beyond traditional forums.
Regards,
Brooks Vandivort
Mr. Abeytia:
I have spoken to a very small group of people I trust about my interest in running for the District 1 Council seat and wanted to convey my final decision to you as well since it had been covered on your blog.
After much debate, it is clear to me that the time required to be an effective Council member is something that I do not have at present. While I am extremely grateful to those in the public sector and business community who have urged me to seek election, I know that I cannot give the position my full attention; and that would be unfair to the citizens of District 1. The issues facing the City of El Paso require a full-time commitment; and while the City Manager form of government has placed more responsibility with City Staff, we should still expect intelligent, creative, and difficult decisions to be made by our regionally elected officials.
The City of El Paso and the surrounding areas are at tipping point both economically and socially. Too many of our elected officials continually try to solve our problems with incremental and often ineffectual policy changes, and this was at the center of my interest in running. Today the greatest economic driver in our community is the BRAC decision of 2005; and while the development community and City planning have been working to capitalize on this growth, not enough is being done to ensure that the region continues to prosper economically once Fort Bliss expansion is complete.
Further, El Paso sits on the largest international borderplex in the world and is the perfect setting for research, training, policy education, immigration, and international security on a global level; yet the programs that capitalize on this are locally or regionally focused and do not have the funding necessary to become national in scope. The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College, Texas Tech, and similar institutions should be commended on the progress that they have made in becoming centers of learning on the border, but a strong push needs to be made at the Federal level to enhance these existing programs and to add Federal anchors of support. A brief search of national research programs in these areas reveals that they are located in virtually every part of the country aside from El Paso. While limited progress has been made, this type of neglect comes from the top down. Local representatives and state elected officials need to push our national representatives into action.
El Paso is a wonderful city to live in and call home, and I will continue to make an impact where I can. I want to thank you for your contributions to the local political dialogue and for providing a platform that extends the debate beyond traditional forums.
Regards,
Brooks Vandivort
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